Whenever the world is at war, defense companies profit. And right now, global conflicts are at an alarming stage, starting with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has now been going on for 1.5 years with no end in sight, and Ukraine's ability to push back Russia has been driven by major contributions in terms of weapons and aid from some of the top 20 most advanced countries in missile technology, and led by the U.S., which alone has contributed around $76.8 billion from January 2022 to July 2023, according to the Council on Foreign Affairs.

As the U.S and European countries provided assistance to Ukraine, the demand for weapons continued to increase significantly, and defense stocks outperformed the broader market in what was a tough year for stocks in 2022. 

12 most advanced countries in missile technology
12 most advanced countries in missile technology

Methodology

To determine the most advanced countries in missile technologies, simply taking a look at the number of missiles by country doesn't suffice as some nations only have very rudimentary missiles. In fact, according to the Arms Control Association, only 31 nations possess ballistic missiles while only 9 countries are known or thought to have nuclear missiles, which of course make up our top 9. For the remaining 3, we have ranked them based on the quantities of their most advanced missiles, as well as the range, and assigned each country a score.

12. Syria

Insider Monkey score: 31

Syria has been the location of a proxy war fought between major world powers for a decade now, and its own military has strengthened in the same time as well, with the SS-1-E (Scud-D) currently under development and expected to have a range of up to 700 km.

11. Saudi Arabia

Insider Monkey score: 40

Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest purchases of arms in the world, which has allowed it global influence. The Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force is a separate force responsible for the commissioning of long-range missiles.

10. South Korea

Insider Monkey score: 43

To combat North Korea's military developments, South Korea hasn't remained far behind in establishing itself as one of the countries with the most advanced missile technology in the world .

9. North Korea

Insider Monkey score: 45

North Korea isn't considered a serious threat by many mainly because of the antics of its leader, but it has actually become one of the most advanced countries in missile technology in the world, with a possession of operational missiles with a range of up to 1,500km while also continuing to work on the development and testing of missiles which could have a range of 10,000 - 15,000 km. Since 2022, North Korea has tested more than 100 missiles!

8. United Kingdom

Insider Monkey score: 49

Like most European countries with some of the best missile tech in the world, the UK has also provided missiles to Ukraine, which Russia said were used to attack the city of Luhansk.

7. Israel

Insider Monkey score: 51

Israel is the biggest beneficiary of U.S. aid in the world, and is now one of the countries with the best air defense systems in the world with the Iron Dome, used to knock out Hamas rockets. Now that Israel has declared war on Hamas, though it's resulted more in the destruction of innocent Palestinians as opposed to militants, it's continuing to receive significant aid and support from the U.S. and Europe.

6. France

Insider Monkey score: 59

One of the world's major missile powers, France also supplied Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, and additionally also agreed to provide Armenia's air defences with missiles and radar tech.

5. Pakistan

Insider Monkey score: 61

Pakistan’s defense spending is astronomical, often at the expense of the country’s development, because of which it is among the countries with the best missile technology in the world. Recently, Pakistan test-fired its nuclear Ababeel missile, while the U.S. sanctioned three Chinese companies

4. India

Insider Monkey score: 63

India has continued to make major advancements in its arsenal, including in missile technology, especially due to poor relations with two neighbors in Pakistan and China, both of whom are also nuclear powers. An Indian defense company called BrahMos

3. Russia

Insider Monkey score: 67

Despite being one of the countries with the most advanced missile technology in the world, Russia has struggled to make strides against Ukraine after its invasion. Russia has also been accused of using its missiles to attack civilian structures, with a recent strike in Kharkiv resulting in the deaths of six postal workers.

3. Russia

Insider Monkey score: 67

Despite being one of the countries with the most advanced missile technology in the world, Russia has struggled to make strides against Ukraine after its invasion. Russia has also been accused of using its missiles to attack civilian structures, with a recent strike in Kharkiv resulting in the deaths of six postal workers.

2. China

Insider Monkey score: 72

China has spent hundreds of billions of dollars in the last few decades to strengthen its army, both in number and in tech. In fact, China has also recently significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal which now has over 500 warheads. In October 2023, the Pentagon also warned about China’s continuous improvements and developments in its long-range missile arsenal. China’s advancements have also posed a threat to its neighbor India, which has had tense relations with China.

1. United States of America

Insider Monkey score: 84

Easily topping the list of the 12 most advanced countries in missile technology is the U.S., which it has put to use by supplying weapons to Ukraine and Israel to aid them in their respective conflicts. The country also deployed missile systems to the Middle East in the wake of Hamas’s attack and has some of the longest range missiles in the world. In fact, it’s because of America’s missiles that Ukraine has so far been able to resist Russia’s advancements. Last week, Ukraine deployed ATACMS missiles, provided by the U.S., for the first time.